Forskolin: its effects on potassium-evoked release of vasopressin from the rat neurohypophysis.

The effect of forskolin, added either before or 5 min after the onset of potassium-evoked release of vasopressin from isolated neurointermediate lobes of the rat has been investigated. A low concentration of forskolin (1 microM), added before stimulation, enhanced the potassium-evoked release of vasopressin throughout two successive 5 min periods of stimulation. Higher concentrations of forskolin (10-80 microM) produced no effect on the potassium-evoked release of hormone during the first 5 min of stimulation, but inhibited release during the second 5 min period. When added 5 min after the onset of potassium stimulation, forskolin (1-80 microM) reduced the amount of vasopressin released during the remaining 5 min of stimulation. Forskolin produced a concentration-dependent increase in cyclic AMP during both the control and potassium stimulation periods. The amount of cyclic AMP generated by forskolin during potassium stimulation was less than that produced during the corresponding control periods.